Embracing intersectionality: Vineet Sawant’s journey to authenticity and belonging

In this inspiring interview, Vineet Sawant from Bank of America shares his journey of embracing intersectionality as a cis, gay man from India navigating life and work in Dublin, Ireland. From overcoming cultural barriers to finding his voice within Bank of America’s LGBTQ+ Pride network, Vineet’s story highlights the power of authenticity, community, and resilience. Through his experiences, he offers valuable insights into how embracing one’s full identity can lead to personal and professional growth.

Pictured: Vineet Sawant - Dublin, Ireland Pride

myGwork: Could you please introduce yourself and provide an overview of your role within your workplace?

Vineet: My name is Vineet Sawant, I was born and raised in Pune, India. I moved to Dublin, Ireland for my Masters in 2021 and joined Bank of America in 2022 through the graduate program. Currently, I work as a business analyst within the market risk technology team based in Dublin. I’m also the communication co-chair for our LGBTQ+ Pride employee network, as well as a committee member for our Tech and Ops Alumni group.

Pictured: Vineet Sawant - Diwali Celebration

myGwork: Can you reflect on your journey as an individual with diverse intersectional identities in the workplace, discussing the challenges you have encountered and the strategies you employed to overcome them?

Vineet: Though I grew up in a metropolitan city back in India, being gay was still a taboo and something that always made me feel like I couldn’t really express myself fully. I always felt that I had something to hide. But after moving to Ireland, that completely changed, and I saw that people here are very open to people from different cultures and identities.

I remember during my orientation week when I started with Bank of America, we were introduced to the different employee networks available and that’s when I knew that I wanted to be part of the LGBTQ+ Pride network because I never had the opportunity be involved in anything like this before.

Finding a sense of community here at Bank of America gave me such confidence. Previously, I always felt like I would be judged and I feared that people would change their behavior towards me after they saw the real me, but I was so wrong about that. Joining the network helped me to be comfortable with my own identity and bring my whole, authentic self to work, which helped me form meaningful personal and professional relationships.

Representing the network at the DevCon event in Dublin
(In the pic (L-R) – Michael Procter , Linda Sahlin McConnell , Vineet Sawant)

myGwork: In what ways do you believe your intersectional identities shape your experiences within the workplace? How do you navigate and address the distinctive challenges that arise?

Vineet: Before moving to Ireland, I worked in a corporate environment in India. Getting used to the whole corporate structure during the initial days of the job was a little challenging, I wasn’t comfortable with having calls and meetings over video. I found it tough to gauge participants responses to what was being discussed. I was having difficulty expressing my thoughts in meetings and when I did, I didn’t always get a response. This made me doubt about my ability to communicate effectively. I began questioning every comment I was making, worried about whether I was being clear and concise. Then, when I did speak up, I would over-explain points to be sure I was being heard and understood. I raised this with my manager, who explained that people on calls would not typically respond if they understood everything fully, something that was part of their culture. I then realised if I’m not getting any follow up questions after I’ve made my point, the content has been understood and that’s when I appreciated how cultural differences intersect with the workplace dynamics, and without awareness, they can lead to misunderstanding.

Photobooth during the Pride Celebration at the Dublin office
(In the pic, (L-R) – Ciaran Anthony Sutton, Linda Sahlin McConnell, Vineet Sawant, Linda Hart)

myGwork: Share with us some of the personal successes or achievements that you take pride in as a professional with diverse intersectional identities.

Vineet: I’ve always found public speaking to be a little intimidating, but last year our LGBTQ+ Pride network hosted a fire-side chat on the theme of “Pride celebrations around the world” with the sub-theme of intersectionality. I was able to participate as a panelist and share my insights and experience as a cis, gay man growing up and celebrating pride in India versus when I moved to Ireland. The event was a valuable opportunity to hear from my co-panelists about their experiences.

The event gave me an opportunity not only to work through my fear of public speaking but also to answer questions in a positive, open forum. Hopefully, in sharing my story, it may in some way help others.

Fire side chat panel event
(In the pic, (L-R) – Vineet Sawant, Khulan Enkhbat, Magdalena Kajzar)

myGwork: Are there any personal or professional role models who have significantly inspired and influenced your journey as a professional with diverse intersectional identities, particularly during events or occasions celebrating diversity and inclusion?

Vineet: My mother. She raised me as a single, working mother who grew up in a rural part of India and moved to the big city when she got married. She started working at a very young age, taking on her father’s government job after he passed away. Overnight, she become the provider for her mother and her siblings. She was an inspiration, she faced challenging life events, but she never let that influence her work ethic or commitment to family.

Everything that I am today, both personally and professionally is all credit to my mother. My mother always taught me to be kind and to respect everyone and do everything I do with all my heart. My mother’s teachings are my guiding light.